Electric wiring system.



F. A. WATKflNS.v ELECTRIC WHNNG SlSEM. APPLscATmN man mv. 5. 1915.

Patenmdsepn 25,1917.

. FRED. IGK A. WATKINS, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC WIRING sYsTEivr.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patnted Ser 13,25, 1917.

Application led November 5, 1915. Serial No. '59,850'.

To all whom z't'may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. WAT- KINS, a citizen'of the United States, and

resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Wiring Systems of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the acc0mpanying drawings, forming a part thereof. The invention relates to electric wiring land more particularly to an arrangement of electrical conductors and fittings which may be installed as one piece for theillumination of show windows and the like, without the necessity of making other electrical connections than those which may be accomplished by the ordinary user-,as for example the introduetion of a switch plug into a socket. Theobjeet of the invention is to provide -a wiring systemfor electric illumination whichis of simple and inexpensive eonstruc'f tion, and is effectively safeguarded against the usual hazards pertainingl to the transmission of electric current. i l

In the accompanyingdrawings, 1

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one arrangement of the improved electric wiring system embodied in a Window lighting fixture, some of the parts being shown in section,

Fig.- 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of ther same,

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views showing the meeting faces of two of the parts, details of the electrical conductors being shownA in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing anelement which may be employed for preventing rotation of the lamp fitting, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line \l The improved wiring system is more particularly useful for supplying current to a plurality of electric lamps, as 10,especially when these lamps areto be arranged ina row, as for the illumination of show winwith insulated bushings 20 and 21, through Which the electrical `conductors, as 14, 15, are extended." The free ends of the conductors 14, 15 are arranged" for ready connection with a suitable source of electric energy, as by being fitted to a socket plug 22.'

In practice the tubular holderl 12 may be suspended in any convenient manner, as-by V being secured directly against/the wall or ceiling, or by being mounted' in suitable brackets or hangers (not shown). Iii the form of construction illustrated, a plurality of two part porcelain fittings 23,y equal in number to the number of lamps to be served,`

are provided. yOne of the parts. as 24,'of each f1tt1ng,'1s constructed to provide a lanlp socket 25, and a groove 2G for the application of 'a shade holder. asbl?, and the arrangement permits of these parts being -exposed upon the outside of the tubular support 12, without cutting or machining the wall of the tube further than to provide a single round opening 2S.' vfor each lanip, as l0. To this end, the part 24 of cach porce lain fitting 23 is lformed with a shank or stem 29 adapted for introduction.,into the lcorresponding opening 2S t'roni the outside of the tube 12. This shank or stein may be provided with flat. sides, as 30. I Pigs,` 2 and 4, in which case a plate 3l. ha\'ing a correspondingly shapedentral opening 32, is fitted over the shank 29 within the tube l2 to prevent rotation of the fitting. c

The other part, as 33, of' each porcelain fit'- -ting 23, preferably takes t'holorni of an inlverted cup, adapted to be fitted over the shank29'otthcI part 2l` upon the inside of the tube 12.'.l lhpost, 3T .projects ccnlrally from the bottom of the cup chamber and extends through an opening 3S in the shank sembled. t ,u

The side walls of the. part 33 are notched, as at 34 to permit the passage ot' the electrical conductors 14,15, and binding screws 35 and 3G are mounted within the cup chain- -ber for engagement with said conductors. l I'J h These binding screws are vcarried by separate insulated"metal plates 39 and ll. The' plate 39 extendsinto the post 37 from one side and is secured in place by moans of a screw 40 which extends centrally through the post 37 and constitutes the center contact for the lamp, as 1l). lhe plate 41 is A grooved to extend about the post 37 at the remote side of the, saule from the, plate 39. It is secured against the floor of the'cup chamber by a pair of' screws 42. A second pair o1 screws 43 enter the plate 41 from withi .he lamp socket 25. These last mentioned screws serve both for uniting the two parts 24: and 33 of the fitting 23 and for making the electr-ical connection between the plate 41 and the side contact 44, of the lamp socket.

In assembling the parts of the apparatus, the parts 33 of the several fittings 23 are applied to theconductors 14, 15, and are then passed into the tube 12 from one end to register with the openings 28. Plates 31, also pass into the tube 12 from one end and are applied to the wall of the tube upon the inside over the openings 28. The parts' 2-1 of the' fittings 23 are then applied to the openings 28 from the outside of the tube and the screws 43 are introduced for con-4 necting the two parts of each fitting. Shade holders, as 27, and lampsas 10, may then be applied to each fitting and when suitably supported in place the apparatus is ready for use upon the introduction of the plug 22 into a suitable socket (not shown).

The portions of the conductors, as 14, 15, from which the insulation has been removed for connection with the binding screws, as 35, 36, are completely covered and the construction permits of the parts being assembled at the factory for transportation and installation at the place of use as a one piece ixture. The employment of skilled labor for making the installation is therefore unnecessary while an eiiicient and Workmanlike construction is nevertheless obtained.

I claim as my invention,-

l. An apparatus for supporting and supplying current to a plurality of electric lamps comprising, in combination, an integrally walled` at sided metal tube having a separate opening in one of itsflat sides for each lamp to be supported and otherwise imperforate, a porcelainfitting secured 1n each of said openings, each fitting being constructed to provide a lamp socket opening u on the outside of the tube and wires y exten 111g through the tube for attachment to each of said fittings.

2: An apparatus for supporting and supplymg current',` to a plurality of electric lamps comprising, in combination, an integrally Walled metal tube having a separate lateral opening for each lamp to be supported and otherwise imperforate, a porcelain fitting secured in each of said openings, each iitting being constructed to provide a lamp socket opening upon the outside of the tube, and wires extending through the tube for attachment to each of said fittings.

3. An apparatus for supporting and supplying current to a plurality of electric lamps comprising, in combination, an integrally walled metal tube having a single lateral opening for each lam to be. supported and otherwise imper orate, a two part porcelain fitting having its parts applied to the inside and the outside of the tube at each of the said openings, the part of each fitting which is applied t0 the outside of the tube being constructed to provide a lamp socket, clamping means uniting the two parts of each tting, and wires eX- tending through the tube for attachment to each tting.

4L An apparatus for supporting and supplying current to a plurality of electric lamps comprising, in combination, an electric conductor, a plurality of two part orcelain fittings, one of the parts of each iitting being attached to the said conductor and the said fitting parts which are attached to the conductor being located at intervals alon the same, a tube inclosing the conductor an the last mentioned fittin parts, the wall of the tube being formed with lateral openings which register with the inclosed fitting parts but each of which is of insuicient size to permit the corresponding fitting part to pass through the same and the tube being otherwise constructed to permit the introduction of the said conductor and the fitting parts which are attached thereto only through the end of the tube, the other part of each fit- FREDERICK A. wATKINs. 

